Stay
by Songficcer
Summary: Drabble. It's the little things that make the world. Ami/Mako, One shot.


_AN: I do not own Sailor Moon. I'm just borrowing my favorite non-canon couple for a while._

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><p><em>"Jupiter, stand down!"<em>

_"Jupiter, what are you do-"_

_"Makoto!"_

Makoto slowly opened her eyes, the sun's early rays just beginning to peek over the horizon and into her room. Visions from last night's battle slowly flitted through her mind and she groaned. She stretched best she could, feeling her sore ribs strain with the simple movement before gingerly sitting up and placing her feet onto the floor. Makoto wore a tank top and shorts and even in the dim morning light could see her arms and legs were covered in bandages. She raised a hand and gently felt her face, feeling a few band-aids there as well.

Last night seemed to crash into her mind after she had sat up. There had been a youma and in her recklessness, Makoto had flung herself at it in order to protect her friends, taking the brunt of the creature's attacks. The senshi of courage or not, she realized she needed to stop doing this. It was going to get her killed. Again.

Rationally she knew this. And after every battle when she woke up too sore to want to move, she told herself she had to stop; that the others were soldiers as well and didn't need babysitting. Not even Usagi. Not anymore. But every time, rationality be damned, she rushed whatever it was that was harming the only family she ever knew after her parents had died. She may have lost her parents, but she wouldn't lose a sister.

Makoto leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her head hung. There was, of course, another reason she did this. Self worth. Or, for her, lack thereof. Compared to the others, she was a tank. An expendable tank, in her own mind. Her life meant nothing if she couldn't save her friends. They kept her stable and she couldn't afford to lose them, in any sense.

The bed shifting behind her caused Makoto to slowly turn. Her tired eyes watched as a petite woman slowly sat up and stood from the bed. Ami's eyes did not move over to Makoto, nor did she speak to the taller woman, as she slowly walked from the bed to the door and disappeared out into the hallway.

_"Makoto!"_

Makoto groaned, her eyes closing as Sailor Mercury's panicked voice rang inside her head. She rested her head in her bandaged hands and sighed. She could feel her body growing heavier but resisted the urge to lay back down. She contemplated standing and going to find Ami when she felt one of the woman's small hands brush back through her bed-matted hair. Makoto looked up as Ami's caress came down over her cheek.

"You shouldn't be up," Ami said quietly. Makoto's eyes fell to Ami's other hand and noticed the bluenette was holding both a bottle of water and a bottle of pain killers.

Makoto watched Ami's hand for a moment before her tired green eyes flicked back up at her partner.

"You're upset with me." It wasn't a question.

Ami shook her head. "No," she answered. She sat the pills and water on Makoto's nightstand. "Just worried." She turned back to Makoto, concern plain on her pale face. "I wish you wouldn't let your insecurities get the best of you, Mako-chan. You become self destructive when you do." Ami sighed, her gaze falling to the bed over Makoto's shoulder. "At least you weren't hurt as badly as last time."

Makoto chuckled and motioned at herself with her hand. "This isn't bad?"

"At least you're upright this morning," Ami countered. Then she mumbled, "Unlike last time."

"Point," Makoto said glumly.

Silence engulfed the lovers and somewhere in the apartment, a clock chimed at half past the hour.

"I better get going," Ami said softly. "Mother is expecting me to be home when she gets there." As she made to turn away, She stopped when Makoto's arms circled around her from behind, her palms resting on Ami's belly. She was pulled back against the taller woman whose arms tightened around her. Ami could feel Makoto's warm face at the small of her back.

"Stay with me," Makoto whispered.

"I'll be back tonight," Ami said softly, squeezing Makoto's arms reassuringly. Makoto's embrace tightened even more.

"I don't want you back just at night," Makoto said again in the same soft voice. She took a deep breath. "Move in with me."

Ami grew very still. "Mako-chan..."

Makoto's heart was hammering in her chest as the words in her mind she tried to assemble into coherant thought flew out of her mouth, "I know I probably don't have the great future you do, going to school for cooking and all. And you can do better than me if you tried. Though I'm really happy you don't." Makoto giggled at this and felt Ami relax against her once again.

"I love you, Ami," Makoto finally said. "And I want to build a life with you. I know I can't offer much but-"

Ami turned then and pressed her lips against Makoto's, silencing the the amazon as she wrapped her arms around Makoto's shoulders.

"You give me more than I could ever ask for, Mako-chan," Ami said as pulled away from Makoto. Blue eyes bore into green worriedly. "Tell me what happened yesterday," she asked softly. "Please?"

"I don't know," Makoto answered, her voice as quiet as Ami's had been. She leaned her head against the smaller woman's stomach while her arms tightened around her. Makoto closed her eyes, safe in Ami's embrace. "Just one of my moods, I guess." She smiled a bit self deprecatingly. "I let the opinions of those who don't matter bother me." Makoto opened her eyes and glanced up at Ami. "I just feel like I always have to prove myself."

"Not to me," Ami said quickly, pulling Makoto closer. "Never to me. And never to our friends."

Makoto gave a smile. It was small, but it was genuine. "You've told me to never say never."

"There is always an exception to every rule," Ami countered, her lips turning up into a soft smile.

Makoto's smile grew and she pulled Ami closer, her fists balling into Ami's shirt. Ami buried her face in Makoto's thick hair, her own grip around the Amazon just as tight. "I love you so very much, Ami," Makoto whispered.

Ami gave a squeeze around Makoto's shoulders. "And I love you."

They stayed there for a long moment, the clock on the wall ticking away. Finally, Ami pulled back slightly, but her hands stayed firmly on Makoto's shoulders, warm and soothing. Ami arched an eyebrow and asked with a small smile, "Move in, huh?"

Makoto gave a small smile of her own, causing her sleep dulled eyes to brighten. "Yeah. As often as I'm getting beat up, I need a live in nurse." Ami's eyes widened and her lips thinned in mock anger as Makoto's face split open in a toothy grin. "I'll even buy you a cute little outfit to wear!"

Ami growled and lunged at Makoto, who fell back on the bed with roaring laughter. Ami was careful not to hurt Makoto as she followed her partner into her bed, their bed, grabbing a pillow and covering Makoto's face with it.

"Why you _ecchi_ little girl," Ami said as she sat astride Makoto's hips. The Amazon fought with her, ignoring the pain in her body for now, as she struggled to breathe from laughing so hard. Makoto was finally able to knock the pillow from her head and her hands grasped Ami's wrists. She tugged and turned, flipping Ami onto her back and settled over her. But before Ami could so much as glare at her, Makoto's head dipped and she pressed her lips against Ami's. The bluenette immediately settled beneath the Amazon, welcoming the weight of the taller woman's body upon her own.

A few moments later, they separated and Makoto rested her head against the bluenette's own, their breathing slightly irregular. Blue eyes opened and met green and Ami whispered, "Yes."

Makoto smiled before burying her face in the crook of Ami's neck. They turned into one another, each holding their partner protectively and allowing sleep to take them again.

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><p><em>AN: A little drabble thingie inspired by the song <em>Stay _by Poets of the Fall. I have been working on this in bits and pieces since this past summer. I hope you guys enjoyed it! And, no, I haven't forgotten about 'That Summer.' Just like most of my other fics, me and this one aren't getting along haha _


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